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I am pleased to present Transport Canada’s Departmental Performance Report for 2007-08. It describes how the department supports a stronger economy, ensures a secure and safe transportation system and works towards a cleaner environment.
Canada needs seamless and strategic connections among marine, rail, road and air transportation networks to compete in today’s global economy. That is why the new National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors, a key element of the $33 billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, now guides the development of trade-related transportation infrastructure. We are making real progress on the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor, and the Atlantic Gateway.
Canada is a world leader in national transportation system security and safety. For example, in 2007-08, Transport Canada’s $80 million Transit-Secure program enhanced passenger rail security and urban transit security across Canada. We also continued to work with industry to streamline regulations and build on Transport Canada’s safety and security actions by implementing transportation safety management systems and security management systems that enhance performance and protect Canadians.
The Government of Canada’s commitment to protect the environment and tackle climate change includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent from 2006 levels, by 2020. This year, the government announced a plan to regulate fuel efficiency for new cars and light-duty trucks under the Motor Vehicle Consumption Standards Act, beginning with 2011 models. Transport Canada is proud to contribute to this effort through its ecotransport initiatives.
This report describes how, in 2007-08, Transport Canada delivered transportation policies, regulatory initiatives and programs that create economic opportunities, improve security, increase safety and protect the environment.
I am proud of the department’s achievements, which deliver real results for Canadians.
The Honourable John Baird, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2007-2008 Departmental Performance Report for Transport Canada.
This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2007-08 Estimates:
Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:
Louis Ranger
Deputy Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
From the opening of the continent to the construction of railways, ports, airports, the Seaway and the Trans-Canada Highway, transportation has provided the essential links that bind the country together: it has been the key to building Canada. For the first hundred years of confederation, the federal role was to build, maintain, subsidize and regulate the infrastructure and services needed to meet the needs of a fledgling nation. But needs evolved with new economic imperatives and this led to divestiture and commercialization of many ports and airports in 1996. Managing change in the transportation sector has become a dominant theme in recent decades, and a key commitment for Transport Canada.
Since February 2006, Transport Canada has formed part of the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Portfolio. The Portfolio also includes Infrastructure Canada, three agencies operating at arm's length from the department, 16 Crown Corporations (e.g. VIA Rail, Marine Atlantic) and over 40 shared-governance organizations (e.g. Port of Montreal, Vancouver International Airport). The creation of this portfolio has provided an unprecedented opportunity to integrate transportation policies and infrastructure funding programs (e.g. $2.1 billion for gateways and border crossings).
The department's mandate is indeed vast and complex. Transport Canada managed three program activities aligned to three strategic outcomes and administered 60 statutes. These strategic outcomes support a vision of a transportation system that is recognized world-wide as efficient, safe and secure and environmentally sustainable.
To promote an efficient transportation system that contributes to Canada’s economic and trade objectives, Transport Canada:
To ensure a safe and secure transportation system that contributes to Canada’s social development and security objectives, Transport Canada:
To achieve an environmentally responsible transportation system that contributes to Canada’s sustainable development objectives, Transport Canada:
To support its mandate, Transport Canada is assigned the following resources:
Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
---|---|---|
867,997 | 1,103,801 | 835,704 |
Total Human Resources (Full time equivalents (FTEs))
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
5,090 | 5,043 | (47) |
To continue to serve the interests of Canada and Canadians, Transport Canada must increasingly look beyond borders to adapt to global trends; it must also take stock of changes in the government and in the department.
Globalization is transforming Canada’s manufacturing processes and trade patterns. New world powers, notably in Asia, present Canada with rich potential markets and new challenges. Canada’s reputation as a reliable transportation choice has been hurt by recent congestion problems, labour disruptions and capacity constraints on the West Coast. To be a successful link in global supply chains, Canada needs a reliable national transportation system.
For this reason, all levels of government and the private sector need to invest more in infrastructure and new technology, reversing years of under-spending. Canada’s transportation system will also need to be adaptable and competitive with others involved in building global supply chains. This means eliminating bottlenecks and improving how the marine, road, rail and air assets work together as effective gateways and trade corridors to global markets.
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, followed by the Madrid and London bombings, led to real changes in Canada’s approach to national security. Transport Canada had to instantly assume new and broader security responsibilities. The department has relied on its strong links with industry to implement a new security agenda. In this context, the role that transportation plays in preserving Canada’s access to the continental market is critical. We must be responsive to the security concerns of our major trading partners. Transport Canada must ensure that security policies and other measures at its borders do not become trade barriers and obstacles.
Climate change and clean air remain a central concern of Canadians. That is why the federal government issued Turning the Corner, a comprehensive, long-term plan to drastically reduce GHG emissions. Transportation is responsible for about 25 per cent of GHG emissions in Canada. For this reason, Transport Canada is taking the lead on developing new environmental policy, and regulatory and program initiatives. Transportation policy, programs and regulations must provide a framework that addresses the three pillars of achieving a sustainable transportation system – social, economic and environmental.
Within the government, Advantage Canada is the cornerstone of economic policies and programming. As part of our competitiveness agenda, transportation is central to achieving stronger productivity growth. To this end, the department will continue to promote innovation in full partnership with industry, and increasingly with universities.
Advantage Canada identifies modern infrastructure as a key element. As a member of the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio, the department now plays a central role in our infrastructure agenda. With about 75 per cent of the large infrastructure projects likely to be transport-related under the Building Canada Plan, Transport Canada is well-placed to better leverage investment decisions.
As the Building Canada Plan is being implemented, there are high expectations for accountability and transparency at Transport Canada. This is also true for each Program Activity within the department. The challenge is to clarify roles, improve control systems, promote better long-term planning, and realign resources. Transport Canada is devoting more time to this end.
Streamlined regulatory approaches and more harmonized standards are also an important element of Advantage Canada and the competitiveness agenda. Transport Canada has already started to shift its regulatory approach in transportation safety.
In its effort to maintain high safety standards as the transportation sector is growing, it is continuing to implement a Safety Management System to create a strong safety culture in the industry and make operators more accountable for ensuring that appropriate safety practices are part of their daily operations. The department is also drawing from that experience to shape its approach to security oversight.
Transport Canada also faces the challenges of an ageing workforce. More than two employees in five, and three managers in five, will be eligible to retire within the next ten years.
In managing the risks in the changing environment, the Executive Management Committee at Transport Canada utilizes a recently developed Corporate Risk Profile to identify risk management and mitigation strategies. The profile comprises an essential part of its Risk Management Framework and is a major component of integrated planning and reporting. The corporate risk profile informs departmental decision-making and has guided Transport Canada’s internal audit plan and its Integrated Human Resources Plan.
It is the combination of global forces at play and the changes internal to government that set the context for the department’s performance and progress towards its strategic outcomes and priorities. Indeed, in future reporting, the department will further clarify its performance results by describing them against a newly developed Program Activity Architecture (PAA). In the future PAA, security will be a separate Strategic Outcome from safety. This reconfigured PAA will help bolster Transport Canada’s planning and reporting capabilities. The department began work on an integrated business planning and reporting process that aligns with and links directly to internal services including Human Resources, Information Management, Information Technology, Finance and Communications. A developed Performance Measurement Framework will enable Transport Canada to better measure how its Program Activities contribute to its Strategic Outcomes and to broader government priorities.
The 2007-2008 Departmental Performance Report describes performance in relation to commitments outlined in the 2007-2008 Report on Plans and Priorities. The Program Activity Architecture (PAA) includes three Strategic Outcomes, which represent the difference a department intends to make for Canadians, along with program activities that are designed and managed to meet a specific public need.
To effectively carry out the program activities, Transport Canada in 2007-2008 identified nine program priorities that are aligned to its three strategic outcomes:
1. Market-Based Policy Framework 2. Infrastructure, Gateways and Trade Corridors 3. Innovation |
1. An efficient transportation system that contributes to Canada’s economic growth and trade objectives |
4. New Security Policies and Programs 5. Streamlining Regulations 6. Safety and Security Management Systems |
2. A safe and secure transportation system that contributes to Canada’s social development and security objectives |
7. Climate Change and Clean Air 8. Environmental Assessments 9. Environmental Protection and Remediation |
3. An environmentally responsible transportation system that contributes to Canada’s sustainable development objectives |
Of the thirteen Government of Canada outcome areas, Transport Canada is aligned with strong economic growth, a fair and secure marketplace, safe and secure communities, and a clean and healthy environment.
The following tables link Transport Canada’s departmental priorities, performance status and highlights of achievements to Strategic Outcomes and Program Activities.
Strategic Outcome: An efficient transportation system that contributes to Canada’s economic growth and trade objectives
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcome Areas:
Strong economic growth / A fair and secure marketplace
Program Activity: Policies, Programs and Infrastructure in support of a market-based framework
Planned Spending (thousands) $101,459 Actual Spending (thousands) $123,998
Program Priority 1: Market-based policy framework |
||
---|---|---|
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Legislative framework that supports free market forces with government intervention targeted to situations where market forces are insufficient |
Successfully Met |
Amended the Canada Transportation Act, Canada Pilotage Act, Canada Marine Act, and Canada Shipping Act 2001 |
A competitive and viable Canadian transportation sector |
Successfully Met |
Extended Aviation War Risk Liability Program Divested 3 ports in QC and NL under Port Divestiture Program Negotiated operating and refurbishment agreements for the federal fleet of grain hopper cars with railways Modernized economic regulation of the air industry, including bilateral air agreements for international air services |
Program Priority 2: Infrastructure, gateways and trade corridors |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Long-term sustainable funding and accountability framework for transportation infrastructure |
Successfully Met |
Established Building Canada Plan, including the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund Developed National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors Implemented Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative Launched Ontario-Quebec Continental Trade Corridor and Atlantic Gateway Advanced Canada-U.S. Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership Created Vancouver-Fraser Port Authority Monitored Airport Performance Undertook St. Lawrence Seaway Infrastructure Needs Study Developed Marine Atlantic long-term strategy Committed to Via Rail Capital improvements |
Increased investment in transportation infrastructure |
Successfully Met |
Announced Public Transit Capital Trust 2008 provincial/territorial investment plans Established Building Canada Fund Developed Gateways and Border Crossings Fund Concluded Bilateral Infrastructure Framework Agreements with Provincial/Territorial Governments Completed major infrastructure projects under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, Border Infrastructure Fund and the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program |
Strengthened governance, transparency and accountability |
Successfully Met |
Streamlined governance procedures for appointments to Port Authorities |
Strengthened Canadian competitiveness in international markets |
Successfully Met |
Brought into force the International Bridges and Tunnels Act Developed Regulations on Maintenance and Repair and Operation and use for international bridges and tunnels. Drafted guidelines for construction, alteration, and sale and transfer of international bridges and tunnels |
Program Priority 3: Innovation |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Highly skilled labour force and increased investment in transportation-related R&D, including ITS |
Successfully Met |
Conducted strategic research and development (R&D) Fostered innovation and skills development |
Deployment of ITS technologies to enhance safety, security, efficiency and environmental sustainability of the Canadian transportation system of ITS Use of R&D results to enhance safety, security, efficiency and environmental sustainability of the Canadian transportation system |
Successfully Met |
Published Transport Canada R&D Annual Report Completed review of Intelligent Transportation Systems National Strategy Completed R&D Projects Released scientific/technical reports |
Strategic Outcome: A safe and secure transportation system that contributes to Canada’s social development and security objectives
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcome Area: Safe and secure communities
Program Activity: Policies, Rulemaking,, Monitoring and Outreach in support of a safe and secure transportation system
Planned Spending (thousands) $641,525 Actual Spending (thousands) $566,177
Program Priority 4: New security policies and programs |
||
---|---|---|
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Greater awareness, understanding cooperation of and compliance with transportation security systems |
Successfully Met |
Developed multi-modal transportation security strategy Pilot tested Air Cargo Security Measures Established Passenger Protect Program Managed Transit-Secure |
Increased stakeholder ability to meet transportation security and emergency preparedness requirements |
Successfully Met |
Managed Marine Transportation Security Clearance Program Established Marine Security Operations Centres Developed virtual tool box in support of fatigue risk management regulations |
Program Priority 5: Smart Regulation |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Increased flexibility and innovation opportunities for industry |
Ongoing |
Harmonized selected aviation security standards in North America Concluded Memorandum of Cooperation with U.S. on Next Generation Tank Car Harmonized standards for Transportation of Dangerous Goods in tanks Updated alternative arrangements with the U.S. Coast Guard Collaborated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Adopted Global Technical Regulations |
Regulations reflecting the needs and concerns of industry and the public |
Successfully Met |
Received acceptance of approval for tank and container specifications for use in the U.S. |
Enhanced international standards and regulations when transporting dangerous goods, enhancing safety without hindering trade |
Successfully Met |
Received award from the Community of Federal Regulators for Regulatory Excellence demonstrated by the CSA 2001 Launched Railway Safety Act Review Amended Marine Transportation Security Regulations |
Program Priority 6: Safety and security management systems: Implementing safety and security management systems (SMS and SeMS) in aviation, rail and marine organizations |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Improved commitment by industry to adopt SMS / SeMS Enhanced awareness and safety culture in industry |
Successfully Met |
Launched Moving Forward in April 2007 |
Strategic Outcome: An environmentally responsible transportation system that contributes to Canada’s sustainable development objectives
Alignment to Government of Canada Outcome Area: A clean and healthy
environment / Strong economic growth
Program Activity: Policies and Programs in support of sustainable development
Planned Spending (thousands) $125,013 Actual Spending (thousands) $145,529
Program Priority 7: Climate change and Clear Air |
||
---|---|---|
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Increased awareness of sustainable transportation choices and climate change impacts |
Successfully Met |
Began development of regulations for new motor vehicles and railway operations |
Increased ability for the public to make more sustainable transportation choices |
Successfully Met |
Announced ecotransport Strategy programs Funded municipal transportation demand management projects |
Reduction of emissions in the transportation sector |
Ongoing |
Announced ecotransport Strategy;
Urban Transportation Showcase Program |
Program Priority 8: Environmental Assessments |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Streamlining and more efficient use of the department resources |
Successfully Met |
Over 876 environmental assessments underway or completed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Reviewed and revised existing tools, and developed and implemented new tools and guidance to increase efficiency in the use of departmental resources |
Sustainable development goal is advanced |
Successfully Met |
Included strategic environmental assessment for departmental proposed policy, plans and programs Offered training to employees |
Program Priority 9: Environmental protection and remediation |
||
Expected Results |
Performance Status |
Highlights of Achievements |
Reduced environmental impacts despite a sustained growth of aviation |
Successfully Met |
Sponsored PARTNER (Partnership for Air Transportation and Noise and Emissions Reduction) Center of Excellence with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to expand environmental research capacity in the field of aviation |
Reduction of Air Transportation and Emissions |
Successfully Met |
|
Suspected contaminated sites are identified and high-risk sites are remediated/risk managed |
Successfully Met |
To date 324 contaminated sites in the departmental database have undergone remediation or risk management, 63 sites are being remediated, 113 are under assessment, 46 are suspected and 70 have no action |
Reduced frequency of illegal pollution discharges from vessels |
Successfully Met |
Used National Aerial Surveillance Program to detect ship-source pollutants Number of large offshore oil spills and associated sightings of oiled birds has been reduced despite the growth in the transport of oil and marine shipping |
Improved quality of the marine environment |
Successfully Met |
Developed regulatory improvements aimed at improving the safety of Arctic shipping and the protection of the marine environment |
Reduction of toxic locomotive emissions |
Successfully Met |
Concluded MOU with the Railway Association of Canada aimed at reducing toxic emissions and greenhouse gases from rail locomotives |